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Edward Kemp (abt. 1610 - 1668)

Edward Kemp aka Kempe
Born about in Gissing, Norfolk, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , , , , , , and
Husband of — married before 1632 in Englandmap
Descendants descendants
Father of
Died at about age 58 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
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Profile last modified | Created 11 Mar 2011
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Magna Carta Gateway Ancestor
Descendant of Surety Barons Hugh le Bigod, Gilbert de Clare, and possibly others (see text).
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The Puritan Great Migration.
Edward Kemp migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 191)
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NOTE: There is no direct proof that Edward Kemp of Virginia is the same man as Edward Kemp of Massachusetts. The biography below has been deduced based on available evidence and the most recent theories of Kempe family authors.

Contents

Biography

This profile is part of the Kemp Name Study.

Edward Kemp aka Kempe[1][2]

Origin

Edward was the son of Robert Kempe and Dorothy Harris.[1][3] Edward's birth date of circa 1610 is an estimate, and is based on known dates and birth order from his father's will.[4]
The estates of Edward's grandfather, including those at Gissing, Norfolk, England, devolved upon his father, Robert Kemp, as the only son, in 1600.[2] Edward's eldest two siblings' births were not recorded at Gissing, but all the others (including Edward's) were recorded at Gissing. Dates are lacking, possibly because the parish records were partially burnt.[2]
Edward was named in his mother's will[2] dated 30 March 1626 and proved on 29 November 1626. He was also named in the will of his father dated 20 Nov 1611 and proved 5 May 1613, in which he was called "Edward, sixth son".[4]

Siblings

Douglas Richardson names the eight sons and three daughters of Robert Kempe and Dorothy Harris as: Robert, Knt. (1st Baronet), John, Richard Esq., Arthur (clerk), Edward, Edmund, Thomas, Matthew, Dorothy (wife of William Jackman), Elizabeth (wife of William Kempe, Knt.) and one unnamed daughter.[1] Frederick Hitchin-Kemp's "A General History of the Kemp and Kempe families of Great Britain" names the same people as the children of Robert and Dorothy Kempe,[2] but erroneously states that Matthew Kempe was a colonel and played a prominent role in the settlement of Virginia, of which colony his brother Richard was the first secretary. Edward did have a brother named Matthew, but apparently it was his nephew Matthew, son of his brother Sir Robert, who became a Colonel in Virginia. See Matthew's profile for details.
Richardson also mentions that Edward was named as a brother in the 1560 will of Richard Kempe.[1]
Weise states that a Robert Kemp was received into the church at Dedham in 1639 and that a Samuel Kemp, "kinsman" to Edward, was briefly in Chelmsford in 1658.[5] It should be noted that Edward's brother Robert never left England and his father, also Robert, died in 1612 in England. Richardson does not list a brother Samuel, so it is safe to assume that the men Weise refers to are not Edward's brothers, but are possibly cousins or other relatives. Additionally, there is no evidence that Edward and William Kemp of Duxbury are closely related.[5]

Marriage and Children

Anne Buckenham, daughter of Peter Buckenham and Margaret Horingalle, at age 23 married Edward Kemp at St. Mary Diss on 23 Apr 1628.[6][7] Diss is about 4 miles from Gissing, Norfolk; where Edward Kemp was born. Torrey in "New England Marriages to 1700" agrees that they appeared as a married couple in Dedham, Massachusetts by 1632.[8]
Their daughter Hesther (aka Esther) Kemp was christened 4 Mar 1628/29 (11 months after the marriage) at St. Mary, Diss[9] Esther married Samuel Foster at Dedham, Massachusetts on 15 Sep 1648 at age 19.[5] Edward's son-in-law, Samuel Foster, would later be the executor of Edward Kemp's estate.
Given the matching locations and ages of Edward Kemp and Ann Buckenham, the fact that his wife in New England was known to be "Ann" and his daughter Esther (also written as Hesther), it is extremely likely that this was the early immigrant family to New England although it is not absolutely proven by independent documentation such as a will or business contract.

Immigration

The date and ship on which Edward, Ann and Esther Kemp traveled from England to America is unknown and the earliest proof of Edward Kemp in America is in 1638/9 in Massachusetts, when he took the oath of freeman.[5]
Although Richardson calls him "of Virginia"[1] and Hitchin-Kemp states that Edward went to Virginia,[2] no evidence has been found that Edward arrived in Virginia or lived there at any time. It might be assumed that Edward (1) arrived in Virginia and removed to Massachusetts before 1638 or that (2) he went directly to Massachusetts and that Edward of Virginia was confused with his nephew, Edmund Kemp, who immigrated to Virginia in 1653 and resided there. See Research Notes below.
There is a record of an Edward Kempe, age 29, who traveled aboard the Alexander to Barbados on 2 May 1635, however there is no other information given that would connect him to this Edward Kemp.[10]

Dedham, Massachusetts

Edward, a blacksmith by trade, came to Massachusetts about 1638, appearing first in Dedham, Norfolk County. He removed to Wenham, and later to Chelmsford, Middlesex County, in 1655.[11]
From Great Migration Directory:
"Kemp, Edward: Unknown; 1638; Dedham, Wenham, Chelmsford [DeTR 1:47; DeChR 14 (as “Robert Kemp”), 22, 29; MBCR 1:375; Fiske 91, 93-95; MPR Case #13008; Arthur James Weise, The New-England Kemps (Troy, New York, 1904) 27-44]."[12]
Edward Kempe took the oath of freeman on 13 March 1638, perhaps at Boston.[5][13][14]
At a Dedham town meeting on 28 August 1638, it was confirmed that blacksmith Edward Kemp was "enterteyned unto the Smiths lott, to have ye one half of ye same", and Edward likely removed to Dedham at that time.[5][15]
Edward's wife and his daughter, Esther, became members of the Dedham church in 1639 and 1645/6, respectively.[5][16]
Edward was chosen to be a surveyor of highways in Dedham in 1642 and while he lived there, more than 20 acres of land were apportioned to him. In 1644, he voted for a tax to pay for the maintenance of a schoolmaster and keep a free school in their town.[5][17]

Wenham, Massachusetts

It appears that Edward and his wife, as well as his daughter and son-in-law, removed 20 miles from Dedham to Wenham, Massachusetts in the spring of 1652.[5] Edward and his wife are found in the notebook of Rev. John Fiske on "22 of 8t. 51." through "9 of 5t 53." in notes regarding their transfer to the church at Wenham.[18]
"On 29 Jun 1653, Edward Kemp and Edmund Farrington were presented for being drunk [EQC 1:285]."[19][20]
On 14 May 1655, Edward was chosen to be a deacon of the Wenham church.[5]

Chelmsford, Massachusetts

In November 1655, Edward and six others (including his son-in-law, Samuel Foster) accepted a proposal made to the pastor of the Wenham church (John Fiske) to remove to the newly-incorporated town of Chelmsford, about 23 miles northwest of Wenham.[5]
On 3 September 1667, Edward was granted to hold a nine acre meadow that had been laid out to Samuel Kemp.[5]

Death and Legacy

Edward died on 17 December 1668 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts.[5][21]
His will,[22] dated 27 January 1667, was probated 6 April 1669. Bequests were made to his daughter, Esther, to her husband, Samuel Foster, to his grandson, also Samuel Foster, and to his "kinsman, Samuel Kemp of Groton".[11] According to 1669 probate file 13008 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, his will was proved in April 1669 and a record of inventory was filed on 6 April 1669 with Samuel Foster as executor.[22]

Research Notes

According to "Early Virginia Immigrants", in 1653, Edward Kemp, George Cartlough and John Meredith were listed as the sponsors of the following 15 immigrants for whom they paid passage and received land in Lancaster, Virginia: Francis Cole, James Johnson, William Jones, Edmond Kemp (nephew, son of brother Edmund), William Liege, John Lyman, John Macklatt, Mary Payton, William Rouse, Rowry [Mc]Rowry, Charles and Edward Weldgrave, Richard Willett, John Williams, and John Wright. Edward Kemp is not included on the list as an immigrant to Virginia, and is only named as a sponsor.[23]

The information in "Cavaliers and Pioneers" is different, stating that Edmond (Edward's nephew) was the sponsor with Cartlough and Meredith of 18 people, himself included, (not 15 as stated in "Early Virginia Immigrants", the extra three names on this list are Edward Kemp, David A Scott and William Birkenhead). For their sponsorship they received 900 acres in Lancaster County on 25 Nov 1653.[24]

It is likely that this 1653 record is for the immigration of Edward's nephew, Edmond, as (1) Edward's brother Edmond never emigrated and died in England before 1649 and (2) Edward had resided in Massachusetts since 1638, his presence there being documented in church records (see info in Dedham and Wenham, Massachusetts, above).

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition. (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011), vol. II, pages 469-470, KEMPE 16.iv.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Hitchin-Kemp, Frederick, A General History of the Kemp and Kempe Families of Great Britain and her Colonies .... Section II, "The Kemp and Kempe Families of Norfolk and Suffolk", Chapter VIII "The Kempes of Gissing". (London: The Leadenhall Press), 1902. Online at Archive.org, pages 32-34 and chart, between pages 8-9.
  3. ↑ Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2013), vol. III, page 412
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Withington, Lothrop, "Virginia Gleanings in England" in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan 1912), pp. 71-74, Virginia Historical Society. Online at JSTOR.org: will transc. of both parents.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 Weise, Arthur J. The New-England Kemps; ancestral kinsmen of the Hon. William Kemp of Troy, N. Y. Troy, NY: DeVinne Press, 1904. Online at Archive.org, pages 27-47, 133-134.
  6. ↑ Norfolk : Diss : St Mary : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/58182e2de93790eb7f51156b : viewed 7 Apr 2022) marriage Edward Kempe to Anne Buckhenam 24 Apr 1628
  7. ↑ Norfolk Banns And Marriages Diss, Norfolk, England transcript, $subscription and [ https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBPRS%2FNORFOLK%2FPD_100-359%2F00681&parentid=GBPRS%2FNORFOLK%2FMAR%2F004203171%2F1 parish register image $subscription]
  8. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21175/881/426893044
  9. ↑ Norfolk : Diss : St Mary : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818ff61e93790eca33a0238 : viewed 8 Apr 2022) baptism Ester Kempe 04 Mar 1628/9
  10. ↑ "Emigrants for St. Christophers" in "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register". Vol. 14, Oct 1860, page 352. Boston, MA: NEHGS, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Pope, Charles Henry. The Pioneers of Massachusetts... Boston: C.H. Pope, 1900. Online at Archive.org, page 265.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Directory - Immigrants to New England 1620-1640. Boston, MA: NEHGS, 2015. page 191
  13. ↑ Andrews, H. Franklin. List of Freemen, Massachusetts Bay Colony From 1630 to 1691: With Freeman's Oath, the First Paper Printed In New England. Exira, Iowa: Exira Print. Co., 1906. Online at HathiTrust, page 24.
  14. ↑ "Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, 1628-1686", Vol. I. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, ed., 5 volumes in 6 (Boston 1853-1854). Online at HathiTrust, page 375.
  15. ↑ "The Early Records of the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1636-1659 ... being Volume Three of the Printed Records of the Town," Don Gleason Hill, ed. (Dedham 1892). Online at HathiTrust, page 47.
  16. ↑ "The Record of Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths . . . from the Church Records in the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1638-1845...," Vol. II. Don Gleason Hill, ed. (Dedham 1888). Online at Archive.org, Church records, pages 14 (as "Robert Kemp"), 22, 29.
  17. ↑ "The First Free School in Massachusetts Supported by a Tax" in "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register". Vol 22 p. 165. Boston, MA: NEHGS, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, NEHGS 2001-2018.)
  18. ↑ "The Notebook of the Reverend John Fiske, 1644-1675", Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Volume 47 (Boston 1974). Online at ColonialSociety.org, pages 91-92, 93-95.
  19. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Vol. II, C-F, (Boston: NEHGS), 2001. Online at AmericanAncestors.org.
  20. ↑ "Salem Quarterly Court Records and Files" in "The Essex Antiquarian". Vol. 7 (1903) page 177. Salem, MA: (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org. NEHGS, 2006).
  21. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC9N-XYV : 3 November 2017), Edw. Kemp, 17 Dec 1668; citing Death, Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004198966.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Ancestry.com. "Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991." [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Probate records 1648--1924 (Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate Court). 2 images. (index)
  23. ↑ Greer, George Cabell. Early Virginia Immigrants, 1623-1666 (W.C. Hill Printing Co., Richmond, Va., 1912)
  24. ↑ Nugent, Nell Marion. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1800. 1934, page 256. Online at Archive.org.
  • Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition. (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011). See also WikiTree's source page for ’’Magna Carta Ancestry’’.
  • Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. (Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2013). See also WikiTree's source page for ’’Royal Ancestry’’.
See also:
  • Great Migration Newsletter, V.1-20. (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, NEHGS, 2018). Online at AmericanAncestors.ord, page 5: note re: transcription errors.
  • Lewis, Marlyn. Edward Kemp, entry in "Our Royal, Titled, Noble, and Commoner Ancestors and Cousins" database (accessed 12 Dec 2019).

Acknowledgements

Magna Carta Project

This profile was re-reviewed and approved 11 Dec 2019 by Traci Thiessen.
Edward Kemp is listed in Magna Carta Ancestry as a Gateway Ancestor (vol. I, pages xxiii-xxix) in project-approved/badged trails (reviewed in 2014 by the Magna Carta project and re-reviewed Dec 2019 by Thiessen-117) through Magna Carta surety barons William d'Aubigné, Richard de Clare, Gilbert de Clare, John de Lacy, Saher de Quincy, and Robert de Ros. Edward Kemp is also a Gateway in Richardson-documented trails to surety barons Hugh le Bigod, Roger le Bigod and William Malet that were developed in Autumn 2022. There are many other unbadged trails that are identified on this page. See the Magna Carta Trails section of Richard Kempe's profile, where the badged and Richardson-documented trails are all set out.
See Base Camp for more information about identified Magna Carta trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".




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Comments: 21

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Brad Stauf
Wife Anne's profile is being edited currently. See sources on profile of daughter Esther (and in comments on Anne's profile). I believe it is extremely likely that this was the Edward Kemp and Ann Buckenham married in April 1628 at Diss, about 4 miles from Glissing followed by christening of daughter Esther in March 1629 also at Diss. I found no other parish registers entries for this family although an Edward Kemp was married to a Grace about 11 miles from Diss at Bunwell, Norfolk and had children christened there.
posted by Brad Stauf
Cayley-55 Michael Cayley
I agree this is probable. As PGM are managers of both this profile and that of Edward's wife Ann, it will be appropriate to wait to see if they agree that Ann’s LNAB should be changed. If they do, the necessary editing of this profile can be done.
posted by Michael Cayley
Kasim-1 Tanya Kasim
Your comment about wife Ann and Esther makes sense. I was thinking that Edward and Ann with their firstborn daughter, likely arrived in Massachusetts in 1632, not 1638, as the Passenger and Immigration Lists of the 1500s-1900s say. The interesting thing about her profile is that I thought she had another daughter she also named Anne, who was born and baptized on 19 April 1629. I found Anne Kemp, daughter of Edward and Ann Kemp, but there are couples with the same first and last names.
posted by Tanya Kasim
Brad Stauf
Tanya, do you have access to Torrey to see what source he cites for the 1632 Dedham appearance? I'm traveling and can't get at it right now. I think i only saw 1638 or 39 in the sources I looked at but i was mostly focusing on Ann Buckenham's origins.
posted by Brad Stauf
Kasim-1 Tanya Kasim
I don't, but I could look it up.
posted by Tanya Kasim
Kasim-1 Tanya Kasim
That's interesting about Edward being married to a Grace. Was that Grace's last name Parker?

https://www.kempfamilyhistory.com/register.php?personID=I100589&tree=adkemp&generations=6

I didn't find any other parish registers for his marriage, except this record: https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/72013810/person/182189417821/media/075edded-21f8-481e-a85d-5faeff0c0987?usePUBJs=true

posted by Tanya Kasim
edited by Tanya Kasim
Brad Stauf
It was Grace Parker on 29 Jul 1627 but i gave the wrong parish, it was carleton Rode sorry about that. On findmypast.co.uk https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/results?sid=998&firstname=edward&firstname_variants=true&lastname=kemp&lastname_variants=true&eventyear=1628&eventyear_offset=10&keywordsplace=bunwell%2C+norfolk%2C+england&keywordsplace_proximity=5&sourcecountry=great+britain

It would seem that kemp family history web site is wrong. Edward of chelmsford was known to be married to Ann, not Grace and their daughter Esther was not born in MA in 1632, we found her birth in England. Two Edwards possibly related, cousins or something.

posted by Brad Stauf
edited by Brad Stauf
[Living Horace]
Mentioned in the will of his brother Richard (the Secretary): "To my brother Mr. Edward Kempe five poundes ster."
posted by [Living Horace]
James Walker
Edward did in fact immigrate to Virginia. Source: Cavaliers and Pioneers abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1800 by Nell Marion Nugent 1934. Page 256 indicates Edmond received 900 acres land grant. This is 50 acres for each of the 18 persons for which he paid the cost of transportation including himself and Edward. The Introduction page xxiv explains this. So Frederick Hitchin-Kemp's account of the brothers is correct. George Greer's Early Virginia Immigrants reference to Edward sponsoring Edward's immigration to Virginia is incorrect. Edward then immigrated to Mass. after first immigrating to Virginia.
posted by James Walker
Kasim-1 Tanya Kasim
Do you know the name of the ship in which Edward arrived in Virginia? I ask because my mother asked me to research that. I did find an immigration record for one Edward Kemp who arrived in Barbados on 2 May 1635, though.

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/635527:7486?ssrc=pt&tid=72013810&pid=182189417931

posted by Tanya Kasim
edited by Tanya Kasim
A (m) M
According to this source: http://www.evmedia.com/virginia/ Edward was not an immigrant to Virginia but rather a sponsor of Edmund. It would not have been strange for a Kemp to end up with the Puritans in Mass. because the Kemps of Gissing were a Puritan family. I'm not sure it is sure that Edward of Mass. is not this Edward. There seems to be more evidence for Edward to be in Mass. (immigration log, Kemp history, etc.)
posted by A (m) M
Kasim-1 Tanya Kasim
That's a fact. Edward's mother, Dorothy Harris Kemp, had Puritan sensibilities, according to Frederick Hitchin-Kemp's book.
posted by Tanya Kasim

Rejected matches › Edward Reuben Kempe (abt.1610-abt.1668)

Featured National Park champion connections: Edward is 13 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 17 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 13 degrees from George Catlin, 14 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 23 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 12 degrees from George Grinnell, 22 degrees from Anton Kröller, 15 degrees from Stephen Mather, 22 degrees from Kara McKean, 14 degrees from John Muir, 13 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 23 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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